News

By Tanu Jalloh

The Institute of Governance Reform today releases a report estimating that at least Le81billion worth of illicit payments were made to traffic officials in 2015 by nearly 60% of traffic offenders.

The method and conclusions the research which involved 500 motorists and traffic officers in Freetown also claimed that “government lost an estimated Le700 billion (32% of revenue) from license fees and potential fines for traffic offences that are not paid to authorised revenue collection agencies”.

By Kemo Cham

A group of senior musicians have dissociated themselves from calls by some section of the music industry propagating the controversial presidential term increment for Ernest Bai Koroma.

In a press release issued yesterday the Sierra Leone Musicians Union (SLMU) said they were more concerned with developing their members and that the group had no political agenda.

By Mohamed Massaquoi in Pujehun and Mabinty Kamara in Freetown
A landmark youth employment scheme designed by the government for unskilled young people has met with a major stumbling block after the sponsor failed to provide cash to sustain the scheme.

Mohamed Kamara, Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Youths confirmed that some 2, 500 youth across the country, involved in the ‘YouthsEmpowerment Scheme’, being managed by the ministry, had gone for eight months without pay.

By Mustapha Kamara Junior

Government’s decision to regulate school frees being charged by private schools authorities in Sierra Leone has been greeted with a sigh of relief by aggrieved parents who feel the fees are exorbitant.

The government, through the ministry of education, had vowed to shut down any school whose fees were not commensurate to the educational facilities they provide.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi
Residents in Pujehun District have confirmed to Politico that First Tricon, which is contracted to construct the 16-kilometer road linking the district and Bo, has abandon the work.

The project was awarded to the company by the government of Sierra Leone since 2014. But work on it has delayed due to unknown reasons.

ZAINAB BANGURA

By Umaru Fofana

United Nations Undersecretary General in charge of sexual violence in conflict has not ruled out running for president of Sierra Leone.

By Mabinty Kamara 

A contractor who failed to secure a lucrative deal with the Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority (SLRSA) on the basis of alleged forgery has denied the claims made against the corporation..

Mohamed Conteh, Managing Director of Alumed International (SL) Ltd, also denied failing to submit relevant documents on time as part of a bidding process for the construction of an office space for SLRSA at their Africanus Road branch in Kissy, east of Freetown.